Let the season remind you to help your PC stay cool

Tag : Heat And Cool

Today we'll find ways to keep your computer cool.
Remove the blanket: In even the best-kept homes a layer of dust eventually settlesacross the main circuit board and often the processor chip. Theventilation system pulls in all that dust.
The dust forms a blanket of insulation. Just look at the stuff.Fill a comforter with it and it would be finer than goosedown.
At least once a year, open up the computer and remove the dust.
Ground yourself to avoid static electricity by touching the metalchassis (and don't forget to unplug the computer) and use a can ofcompressed air to blow the dust away. (There are other methods,including devices made to suck the dust away — but I recommendthis technique for the average user. Just don't let the metalnozzle touch any part of the computer.)
Exhaust yourself: While the cover is open make sure the exhaust vent isn't cloggedwith dust balls. Also, while the cover is off, briefly plug in thecomputer and turn it on.
While the computer is running, check to make sure the fan blades onthe cooling fan (or fans in some cases) are turning freely, withoutvibration and/or without hitting other parts of the machine.
Don't get floored: I know a lot of people who put their computer on the floor,clearing desk space. That makes sense as far as having a cleandesk.
Unfortunately, it is one of the worst things you can do as far ashaving a clean computer. Physics dictates that dust — beingheavier than air — will settle to the floor. So a computer onthe floor builds up that insulating blanket of dust much faster.
Get clearance: In many trendy homes the computer is housed in a cabinet. Ifthat's the case in your home, make sure there is at least 4 inchesof clearance on all sides of the cabinet.
And if your cabinet does not have vent holes in the back (and ifyour spouse will allow this), cut some. Too tight a fit can preventthe computer's cooling system from pulling in cool air andeliminating the hot stuff. I've seen, and endorse, installationswhere the user has added a cooling fan built into the back of thecabinet. If you're handy, it's not a bad way to go.
The big question: Almost every week I'm asked whether a computer should be left onor off. Truth is that it doesn't much matter when it comes to heatbuildup. A PC working correctly will hold the temperature in afairly narrow range.
The rub comes if the PC isn't working correctly. If the fan isn'tworking effectively, or if the exhaust is clogged, heat can killyour computer as it sits there. I turn off the computer at nightand when I leave the house for an extended period. If nothing else,I save a bit of electricity.
Laptops of luxury: Unlike PCs, laptop computers were not designed to run constantly.Many home users rely on a laptop for all their computing. One aidthat may strike you as unusual is a cake or cookie cooling rack.Place the laptop on that rack and air can circulate — and cool— beneath the computer.
And turn that laptop off when you are not using it. All thecomponents are jammed into a tiny space and heat builds up fast.
OK. You're now able to cool off. When you have, come over and helpme finish that hole in my backyard.